In recent years, there has been developed a system wherein devices and means (for example, pumps, valves, channels and sensors) for conducting conventional sample preparation, chemical analysis and chemical synthesis are miniaturized and integrated on one chip, by using micromachine technology system and hyperfine processing technique freely.
This system is also called μ-TAS (Micro Total Analysis System), a bio-reactor, a Lab-on-chip (Lab-on-chips) or a biochip, and its application is expected in medical testing/analysis fields, environmental measurement fields and agricultural products manufacturing fields.
As is observed in genetic testing, in particular, when complicated processes, skilled craft and operations of equipment are required, a micro-reactor representing an automated, accelerated and simplified minimized analysis system has the greatest effects resulting from cost, an amount of necessary samples and time required and also resulting from analyses which can cope with any time and any place.
Even in measurement in a micro-reactor of a chip type capable of producing results promptly independently of a place, quantitativity and accuracy of analysis are emphasized, in the job site where various examinations including a clinical examination are made.
Further, since there are strict restrictions in terms of a size and a form for the micro-reactor, it is necessary to establish a liquid feeding system having a simple structure and high reliability.
The inventors of the invention have already proposed a micro-overall-analysis system which is suitable for gene amplification reaction and its detection (Patent Document 1-Patent Document 6).
Further, the inventors of the invention have already proposed a micro-pump system which is suitable for a micro-fluid-control element that has high accuracy and is excellent in reliability (Patent Document 7 and Patent Document 8).
(Patent Document 1) TOKUGAN No. 2004-138959
(Patent Document 2) TOKUGAN No. 2004-169912
(Patent Document 3) TOKUGAN No. 2004-310744
(Patent Document 4) TOKUGAN No. 2004-312313
(Patent Document 5) TOKUGAN No. 2004-312314
(Patent Document 6) TOKUGAN No. 2004-312315
(Patent Document 7) TOKUKAI No. 2001-322099
(Patent Document 8) TOKUKAI No. 2004-108285
In the micro-overall-analysis system aforementioned, liquid such as a reagent in a micro flow channel of the testing chip is sent by a micro-pump.
Specifically, with respect to a micro-pump unit having a plurality of pumps in a chip each pump employing a piezoelectric element in the structure disclosed in each of Patent Documents 7 and 8, and with respect to an testing chip, channels on the pump side and channels on the testing chip side are communicated each other by making a chip surface of the micro-pump unit and a chip surface of the testing chip be in tight contact with each other and the channel openings of the both fit with each other.
However, if contact surfaces are wet before connection, at the connecting section between the micro-pump unit and the testing chip, there is a possibility that a liquid, such as a driving liquid, that passes through the connecting section from the micro-pump side to the testing chip side leaks out of a clearance between these contact surfaces, when the pump unit and the chip are used.